The tradition of forecasting a longer or shorter winter originated with a medieval German belief about the behavior of badgers. The folklore made its way to the Pennsylvania Dutch country in America around 1840. Today, each February 2nd, the town of Punxsutawney, in western Pennsylvania celebrates Groundhog Day by declaring that “Punxsutawney Phil” has or has not seen his shadow, predicting either an early spring or six more frigid weeks.
Regardless of whether winter lingers, important tasks are necessary to prep for spring time. Here are three ways to prepare for emerging from your winter lair.
- Clean up your tracks. Grime gets tracked inside during winter: water, leaves, dirt and salt from icy sidewalks. Put down a good outdoor mat with stiff bristles for feet wiping, plus a second, softer one inside the door. A nearby shoe corral to leave outdoor shoes helps cut down the dirty tracks. Keep the entry floor swept and mopped regularly.
- Declutter indoors. Go through rooms, closets and drawers, purging into three categories: sell, donate and trash. Sort through clothing, kids’ toys, books and decorative items you want to retire.
- Destroy or digitize old records. Pull out those boxes with old bank statements, utility bills, tax returns and other paperwork. Use a scanner to digitize records you need to keep. While you’re at it, prep for filing your taxes.
The Internal Revenue Service explains how long you should keep tax returns and supporting records here. Unless your utility bills have some bearing on your taxes, destroy any that are older than one year. Bank and credit card statements can be accessed via your online account, so don’t keep them. Original hard copies of wills and insurance policies should be kept permanently in a safe place.
